Inside Coca Cola: A CEO’s Life Story of Building the World’s Most Popular Brand

When Neville Isdell came out of retirement to accept the job of chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola in 2004, he inherited a company in decline that two previous CEOs had failed to revive. In this engaging and refreshingly candid memoir, Isdell combines personal and professional anecdotes to tell the story of his 30 years at Coca-Cola, from his first job as a young man at a bottler operation in Zambia to his challenging years in the C-Suite. Through Isdell’s global postings across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Philippines, and Africa, we are treated to an inside view of a corporate behemoth’s international journey of expansion and its struggle for market share. Recollections of conversations and life choices with his wife and constant supporter, Pamela, permeate the pages and humanize what could have been a formulaic business memoir; through his lively dialogue and vivid storytelling, instead, we have an image of a husband and father, rugby player, and champion for social responsibility who also happened to lead one of the largest companies in the world through a turnaround. Isdell’s debut work is captivating and delightful, sure to simultaneously charm and enlighten about global business and leadership. (Nov.)